Sand Wind Fire
by Funk Coffin
Summary: As a sophomore, Gaara was a foreign exchange student to Konoha, and never forgot Naruto's smile. Now, in collage, Naruto is paired up with Sasuke, who isn't willing to give Naruto up. NaruSasu vs NaruGaa. Seme Naruto. AU.YAOI! Multi-chap. Rated M HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_Note: Me no own! If I did…well, never mind. You don't want to know. Well, maybe some uber sick-minded people do…But that's beyond the point. Anyyyyyyyway…_

_So here we go, my first chapter...Yeah, it sucks. I'm really bad at starting stories, but it'll get better as I go along. I know it's short, but once again, I fail at starting stories. I already have the next few chapters planned out, and they are much longer and less fail...AND MORE YAOI!!! So...This is kind of a NaruSasu vs NaruGaa fic...Which will come out on top? I'm not quite sure yet...whatever people prefer, I guess...Oh, and just as a note, I LOVE GaaNaru, but I think NaruGaa fails...But for consistency, Naruto remains seme. I mean, I kinda made a pledge that I would always make Sasuke uke, right? And by the way, it goes from Gaara's POV to Sasuke's, but not all chapters will be this way, kay? Theme song for the chapter: Mr. Brightside by the Killers. (Yeah, that song kinda inspired me)  
_

It was sickening. Really, it was. The way the blond boy twirled his fingers through the other boy's black hair. The way their noses gently rubbed against each other as their tongues met, their mouths both slightly open. The blond's mouth closed on the darker haired boy's tongue, looking as if he was eating his face off. And were they trying to squeeze each others shoulders off? It looked that way, seeing as how tightly they were holding on to each other.

If it were any other couple, Gaara would have thought that they should get out of the public eye and get a room…But then, he didn't like that idea at all. He hated to think of what Naruto would do to Sasuke if they were in a dark bedroom together. Then again, if _he_ were Sasuke, by all means, the whole situation would be perfectly acceptable. It was very easy for Gaara to picture such things happening--and he did very often. He could hear Naruto's voice, telling him that he was the only one he wanted. He could picture their lives together so clearly.

But that was not the case. Naruto picked Sasuke over him. Uchiha Sasuke, the boy almost everyone lusted after. Well, except Gaara, of course. Gaara never really knew Sasuke very well, but he never liked him. And even though he hadn't seen him in over three years, he knew who it was instantly. Just like he instantly knew that the blond was Naruto.

Like that, Gaara was sucked back into his sophomore year as a foreign exchange student at Konoha.

"_Good morning class! Starting today, we have a foreign exchange student from Suna. That may be a distant and odd land and all, but I want you all to treat him with kindness and respect," a male teacher with a brown pony tail and a long scar across his nose announced, signaling to Gaara, who stood in the front next to him. The girls in the front all started giggling and whispering to each other, some pointing at his tatoo on his forehead. Gaara _really _wanted to go home. He knew he was sent away as an exchange student to escape his horrible family life and all of those cruel stares he received back home, but still. He reluctantly took a seat on the back table. There were three people sitting there already, two boys and a girl, leaving one seat open. _

_When Gaara sat he looked straight at the table below him, not daring to make any eye contact with the other people at the table. He was more than likely blushing, something that he always did, despite his efforts. He really was not in the mood to socialize. _

"_Yo, Mr. Eyeliner, you're joining the freak table, huh?" the one boy joked. He was blond with three whiskers on each cheek all the while sporting a bright orange jumpsuit. He had a big smile and bright eyes. _

"_Speak for yourself, Naruto! Sasuke-kun and I aren't freaks! And, well, I can't really speak for the new guy, but you shouldn't say such things!" the pink haired girl scolded, smacking Naruto on the shoulder. She looked fierce, not the type of girl Gaara would ever want anything to do with. Naruto, however, just laughed it off. The black haired boy, Sasuke, just rolled his eyes. Something about his attitude made Gaara instantly dislike him._

_It was that moment when Naruto's blue eyes met Gaara's. There was something about his glow and his radiant smile that made his blood tingle. It was like there was an instant connection. At that moment, Naruto was all that mattered. Even though they just met, he felt like they _must_ have__ known each other for a long time._

"_You're eating lunch with us, right?" Naruto asked. His voice was mesmerizing, causing Gaara to suck in his breath. He nodded slowly. At that moment, he knew he was…was…Well, he could never see himself kissing a girl ever again._

Gaara sighed. He only stayed in Konoha for half a semester, but he never forgot Naruto's smile. It had been three years since they were last together. The whole time they had been separated, that guy was the main thought in his mind. They only made-out once, the night before Gaara left, but surely it meant something to Naruto. He purposely enrolled in a collage in Konoha, hoping that he would see Naruto's smile again.

The smile that was currently sucking that bastard Uchiha's neck. A knot tied in his stomach.

He wasn't sure if Naruto even remembered him anymore, let alone cared about him. He wasn't sure how serious Naruto and Sasuke's relationship was. But he did know one thing: He would _not_ lose Naruto again without a fight.

...

Out of the corner of his eye, Uchiha Sasuke noticed a familiar red-head. With that hair and tattoo and eyeliner, who COULD forget him? He was none other than Sabaku no Gaara. The boy who, three years ago, tried to take HIS Naruto away from him. HIS Naruto, that he claimed in preschool. HIS Naruto, who gave him a kiss on the forehead to during their fifth grade graduation. HIS Naruto, who comforted him when his family died in a car wreck in seventh grade, leaving his older brother, Itachi, as his only relative left in the world. HIS Naruto, that was currently giving him a really big hickey.

Sasuke continued to look at that boy through the corner of an eye, paying enough attention to notice the severe devastation on his face, but not enough to distract him from HIS Naruto. He inwardly smirked, pushing himself closer to his lover and putting one hand in his back pocket. Naruto, clueless to the whole thing, pushed Sasuke against a nearby wall. Hell, they were in an area that was relatively untraveled by, they could go as far as they want here. That _Gaara_ person would be the only person watching. However, being pushed to the wall caused Sasuke's line of vision to change, so he could no longer see Gaara's jealous stares. Which took away the fun. So he decided to tattle.

"Hey, dobe," Sasuke whispered into Naruto's right ear in his sexiest voice, "I think we have an admirer." After he did such, he nipped the earlobe.

"Oh really teme?" Naruto whispered back, "We better put on a good show then. By any chance, what does she look like?"

"It's a he...I can't...see him now, but he looked very envious."

"Describe him to me," Naruto replied seductively caressing around Sasuke's thigh, causing him to harden.

"Ugh...Sa-sabaku no Gaara..."

Naruto gasped. At that moment, he let go of Sasuke, his face sobering, instantly. He looked into Sasuke's black eyes for a second, then slowly turned around to look at Gaara's turquoise ones. Sasuke instantly regretted saying anything.

"...Ga-Gaara?" Naruto asked, dazed.

"Hi Naruto. Long time, no see."

_Yay! First chapter is finished! WITH A CLIFFHANGER! Rather short, but whatever...You like, you don't like? COMMENT! But please don't flame...that'd make me very sad. There is a big difference between constructive criticism and being a straight-up jerk, ya know...Well anyway, now that it's all set up and started, it'll be written a hell of a lot better. I'll try and post the second chapter ASAP...Hopefully more yaoi will be on the way? Maaaybe a lemon eventually if you guys say so. I'm open to suggestions, and I really may use some if it seems right for the story. *Sigh* Now is your cue to comment!!!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_I am still not Masashi Kishimoto, kay?_

_Here we go with Chapter 2!!! I doubt I'll usually update this quickly, but this is my last day off, so I went ahead and just wrote it…It's Naruto's POV time!!!_

_Oh, and as a reminder, this is AU, so although I use Konoha, Suna, Fire Country, Wind Country, etc, they aren't the same from the stories, really…I could have said Tokyo or something, but wanted to keep the same names, kay? So don't expect them to suddenly start pulling off ninjutsu or whatever…_

_Also, please note: I know perfectly well I made a lot of little or big mistakes with grammar and punctuation and stuff…I blame trying to edit at three a.m. Just be thankful I was able to write even semi-coherently. I usually don't suck that bad XP_

_Theme song for this chapter: Er, idk, but I was listening to Never Too Late by 3DG…It may or may not fit with the chapter…whatever. Also, okay, I know Sasuke has blueish hair, not black. I read the manga mostly, and his hair looks black there, so for the sake of this story--his hair is black!!! Get it, got it, got it, get it…_

"Ga-Gaara?" Naruto spoke, is a dazed voice that almost came out as a whisper. Yeah, it was definitely Gaara, alright. That messy mop of dark red hair, although slightly longer, was the same as it was before. The "ai", or "love", tattoo on the one side of his forehead, visible due to his parted bangs was also there. And the pair of solid turquoise eyes that were ringed with black circles due to his severe insomnia. His clothing, which were slightly gothic in appearance, but in a subtle way, were the same general style that he wore back then.

Naruto stood in awe. He never expected to see this boy again. He waited a long time after they last parted for phone calls or _anything_, but they never came. He had long since accepted that they never would come. Not that _he _ever tried to call Gaara or anything. But then, Gaara never gave him anything to contact him by.

"Hi Naruto. Long time, no see." Gaara's voice was noticeably deeper than before. He had longing and hurt in his eyes, which made Naruto feel uncomfortable. Sasuke instinctively put one arm around his waist and laid his head on his shoulder. It was done gently, but Naruto could tell that it was with possessiveness. Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, you're that guy from…was it the Lightning country, or something? Yeah, I faintly remember you," Sasuke said offhandedly. His eyes briefly narrowed back to Gaara's, the two making a brief glare to each other, but then Sasuke abruptly looked away, towards Naruto's face. Anyone with a brain could tell that Sasuke was basically saying, _Back off, he's mine! He's nothing to you anymore!_ He straightened up and let go of Naruto's waist, but grabbed onto one of his hands.

Gaara, who was slightly disoriented, answered with the same tone that Sasuke used, "No. I'm from the _Wind_ Country. Seeing that I'm wearing a shirt that says _Sunagakure_ on it, you either suck at geography or are just playing dumb. Or both. Being of the rich and prestigious Uchiha family, you don't really _need_ to think, do you?" He smirked, knowing he hit a nerve.

Sasuke's mock innocence faded and was replaced by severe annoyance. Naruto, however, had a _this-is-really-awkward-I-want-to-get-out-of-here _look on. He sighed. He highly doubted that Gaara still had feelings for him, but he still understood the shock he must have, so he sympathized, not getting angered by Gaara's remark.

_He has a point_, Naruto thought warily, _and Sasuke really can be a jerk sometimes. It was about time someone was brave enough to talk back to him._ Well, Naruto could talk back to Sasuke all he wanted, but it wasn't really the same. Everyone else, however, either admired or pitied him too much, so they'd put up with pretty much anything he said or did. Or out of fear of his protective older brother, Itachi, who, (since the rest of the family died, leaving him to inherit the family fortune,) owns half of the city and business. (The Hyuugas practically owned the other half, but they were a much larger family, so the individual kids weren't put up with nearly as much.)

"Hey, hey," Naruto started nervously, pulling his hand away from Sasuke's, "This is…weird. I'm not gonna lie. So, Gaara, how about we meet up later for lunch tomorrow, and we can catch up with each other then. There is this one really good ramen bar and--" Naruto was cut off by an irritated _Hn! _from Sasuke…

Gaara just ignored it and answered with a wicked smile, "Sure, of course. I'll be there…Er, how about tomorrow a noon? Meet right here? It'll be just the two of us, again, like it was in tenth grade." Naruto pretended to ignore the last sentence and the fact that Gaara was still glaring evilly at Sasuke. He simply put on an even bigger fake smile and happily agreed.

"Okay, I'll be looking forward to it! Later Naruto…Sasuke." He gave a polite nod and turned around and walked off, leaving the pair alone.

"Let's go back to the dorm," Naruto said emotionlessly, grabbing Sasuke's hand and pulling him in the opposite direction from where Gaara was heading, towards their little home.

…

Although Sasuke and Naruto called it their dorm, it really wasn't. It was really a very nice studio apartment in one of Konoha's most expensive high rise buildings owned by Itachi and given to Sasuke free of charge as a graduation present. The thought of it make Naruto want to hurl, but he was thankful nevertheless, as he would never be able to afford any _crappy_ dorm with his lack of funds and scholarships, let alone one this nice.

Once they went through the elegant entrance, and up the decorated elevator for 39 floors, letting them out by a long hallway with velvety red carpet and beige walls decorated with pictures from various semi-famous artists, they reached their door. It had their apartment number, 39F, along with a silver knocker and a sign that read "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto's Residence." Sasuke took out his key and opened up the door, letting them into their rather spacious "dorm."

Naruto sighed, taking in how lucky he was. Sakura, on the other hand, was probably sleeping in her small dorm, owned by the university, shared with three other girls. But having a nice dorm was nothing compared to being able to fall asleep with his Sasuke beside him every night in their very comfortable king sized bed.

You see, initially, Naruto refused Sasuke and Itachi's offer to let him room with Sasuke free of charge. But then Itachi went out of his way and bought two, very expensive, twin sized beds for the two, complete with custom blankets and pillows. One of the bed's pillows read "Sasuke" and the other bed's read "Naruto." Of course, when Naruto heard of that, he felt very guilty and finally accepted their request to let him stay.

However, soon there after, the two found that they couldn't do all of the _things_ they wanted to do to each other on such small beds. Naruto claimed that it was fine, and that asking for a bigger bed would be imposing on Itachi's generosity, but the next day he came home, he found a new, very large, bed. The blankets were the same style and the pillows with their names on them were placed neatly. Naruto groaned and complained to Sasuke, saying that it was wrong of him to ask for that. That night, however, Naruto soon took all of his complaints back and was very, _very _grateful for the new bed.

Anyway, Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, his mind miles away…Or, rather, _years _away. He just wanted to go to sleep and get the day over with. This whole situation was stressful, but he didn't know why. It shouldn't be. He groaned, laying back on the bed, covering his face with a pillow.

He was vaguely aware that Sasuke had climbed on top of him until he whispered, "Hey now, I can't see your face with that pillow." He felt him gently trying to pull the pillow away, but he firmly held onto it. He recognized Sasuke's seductive tone.

"I'mf _feally_ noff in fa mood," Naruto muffled through the pillow. Sasuke chuckled and went down, pulling Naruto's pants to his ankles, then moving back up to toy with his boxers. He could feel that Sasuke had changed into a soft pair of night pants while perfectly shirtless. For a moment, Naruto wanted to just give in and just do it, but then as Sasuke stuck his hand in his boxers, (although it felt really nice,) he came back to reality. He sat up instantly and chucked the pillow as hard as he could in Sasuke's face. As the pillows were really soft, it didn't do any damage, but he didn't care.

"I said NO, God damn it!!!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke seemed to ignore him, and placed his arms on his shoulders, forcing him to lay back down. Naruto, who was really pissed off at the moment, pushed Sasuke off causing him to fall off the side of the bed with a _thump_. Most guys would look hurt and sad, but not an Uchiha. He simply climbed back up and laid beside Naruto as he pulled his pants back up.

"You _really_ didn't need to be that way, you know," Sasuke said in a frank voice. He grasped Naruto's hand, but Naruto pulled it away.

"And _you_ don't need to be so God forsakenly sex-crazed all of the time!" Naruto rolled over on his side, away from Sasuke.

"I am _not_," Sasuke scoffed, sounding offended. He too rolled over, facing away from Naruto.

"Then what the _hell_ was that?!" Naruto yelled back, still not looking at Sasuke, "Did you ever think that maybe, _just maybe_, I don't feel like sticking it up your ass _every single _time we're home alone together?!"

"Is this about Gaara?! I know you two were more than friends way back when…But did you guys sleep together?!" Sasuke's voice was shaking, a something very uncharacteristic from him.

Naruto shot up and grabbed Sasuke's face, forcing him to look at him, and answered him in an even voice that didn't match his astonished face at all, "No. We _did _sleep in the same bed together once, and we _did_ go pretty far that night. I could tell Gaara really wanted to, but _no,_ you are the only person I've had sex with. Happy?"

"Yes. Yes, I am," Sasuke replied smugly, suddenly glomping Naruto, hands all up his orange shirt. Naruto groaned. Sasuke was strong and probably wasn't going to let go. He knew chances were, he'd end up being forced to sleep in these uncomfortable clothes. He turned his neck to look at Sasuke, who had a very passionate look on his face. He sighed.

"Go to sleep, Teme."

_There we go! Second chapter! I made sure to edit it a lot better than the prior chapter…Okay, so there wasn't a ton of yaoi-ness…I'm sorry, it was wrong of me, but I couldn't think of where to add any that wouldn't ruin my plot stuff. So, yeah. Review so I know people actually read this! ^^ I'll try to have another chapter three sometime this week… So ta, everyone! *poof of smoke*_


	3. Chapter 3

_Still not Kishi. _  
_Man, I'm pissed. I wrote out the entire chapter, then I clicked "save" and it all deleted. So I needed to rewrite it! Not fun. At all. Especially, since this is kind of a transition chapter, so to speak. So, hopefully it is still good and you enjoy it! :)_

_I am officially incapable of writting a long chapter..._

_Er, no theme song for this chapter, either, but I was listening to The Sharpest Lives by MCR while writting this, so yeah..._

* * *

BEEPBEEPBEEP! the alarm went at 9 AM the next morning. Naruto never did free himself from Sasuke's grasp, his lover's hand underneath his heavy jacket he never was able to take off and on his warm chest. He slowly opened his eyes. The Saturday morning sun peeked through the window warming his face, but irritating his eyes, making him want to close them again. But he willed them open as he reached and turned off the alarm clock--not an easy task, as Sasuke was holding him down.

"Sasuke, seriously," Naruto groaned, "It's time to get up. Please don't do this." Sasuke replied with an incoherent whine/groan.

"I said I'm serious."

"But it's Saturday," Sasuke whined, "We never have time to just lay together in the morning." However, he loosened his grasp on Naruto, letting him sit up.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Naruto answered back, half empathetic, half annoyed, "But I have to be somewhere in three hours, remember? And then, later, we have a double date with Bushy

Brows and Sakura-chan. It'll be fun."

"Liar," Sasuke groaned, sitting up tiredly with a yawn, "it'll be hell, and you know it. Do we really have to go with them?"

"Sakura-chan is our friend...and Bushy Brows...Well, we're going, okay?"

"You don't want to go, either," Sasuke replied, matter of factly.

"Look, if you go with a semi-good mood--for you, at least--we can do whatever tonight, okay? Please, we really owe it to Sakura-chan."

"Well...fine..." Sasuke finally gave in. He really did owe Sakura a million.

You see, when Naruto first came out about his sexuality late freshman year, everyone naturally assumed that Sasuke was gay, too. The were right, obviously, but Sasuke was too proud to come out. He was in denial, so to speak. So he tried his best to convince everyone--including himself, that he was heterosexual. He knew deep down that he'd lose to his inner self eventually, that he's always loved Naruto, but he was too stubborn. So he decided to try going out with Sakura. It was obvious that she really liked him, and Sasuke found her to be...standable. He figured that he could go around with her on his arm, then part ways when out of the public eye.

Well, only, it turned out Sakura didn't really love Sasuke...it was 100% lust. Strong lust. The whole relationship basically only consisted of Sakura trying to get in his pants, with Sasuke refusing her. Which was not an easy task, with a girl as vicious as her. It was amazed him that he managed to save himself for Naruto. But, he had to hand it to her, if it weren't for her, he probably would have pretended to be straight for the rest of his life, and never ended up with the love of his life. Yeah, he was really pushed to his limits with Sakura.

"God damn it, I really can't do this anymore! Sakura--I'm gay, okay? So for the love of God, get your damn hand off my dick!" Sasuke said that to her. In public. In the middle of the school caffeteria, junior year, no less. Naruto was about five feet away--bursting out laughing. Needless to say, Sakura was pissed, yet mortified. Well, she had it comming to her after all that she tried to practically rape him on various occasions. It wasn't Sasuke's fault that he had his breaking point where everyone could hear. Why the hell did she do things like that to him in a place like that, anyway?

It is also needless to say that everyone else suddenly had their attention directed to him. Gawking. About half of the girls looked at him as if their beloved puppy just died. The other half, however, looked really...pleased. Yaoi fangirls, no doubt. Sasuke suddenly felt scared, something rare for him. Naruto, the bastard, was laughing so hard that tears rolled down his he have to look so damn happy? Beyond that, however, the rest of the caff was hushed, with whispering. Kabuto, leader of the school's Gay Support Group, (that Naruto and Sasuke both blatantly refussed to join,) stood up and put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, wearing a very understanding face. Kill me now.

Several months went by before Sakura would even look at Naruto or Sasuke again. However, one day, she went up to them as if nothing had ever happened, Lee by her side. Apparently, they were a couple now. How the hell that ever happened is still a mystery. They were just so awkward together. Sure, Sakura seemed really tolerant of Lee, but that was the end of it. And it was long since known that Lee fancied Sakura, but she always turned him down hard. It was obvious that Lee was miserable, with Sakura dragging him down his potential youthfullness and all, but he wasn't the type of guy who had the ability to break up with a girl. They had been a couple ever since.

"Screw it, I take it back, I don't want to go," Sasuke huffed, returning back from his flashback, "We can mess around any night."

"She's our friend, Sasuke!" Naruto practically pleaded.

"Friends don't try and rape friends, dobe."

"Hypocrite," Naruto chuckled, stepping out of bed. He stretched his arms above his head, his shirt going up, revealing his lower stomach. Sasuke was distracted for a second.

"...Well," he started distractedly, then quickly snapping back, "Hey! You're my lover, I live with you, I own this place! I have a right to do that stuff."

"Sure you do," Naruto teased, continuing his morning streatches.

"Oh please, you end up damaging me more than I you," a smirk suddenly appeared on his face.

"I'm aware," Naruto laughed, "what, with all your bitching and moaning every single time I work on you." Sasuke knew he was joking, so he had to let out a chuckle, despite himself. Plus,he knew Naruto was right.

Sasuke's smirk turned evil, "Yeah, and one day, I'm going to top. Then you'll see! You'll complain much more than I ever do!"

"I'm sure I would. Which is why you bottom. Plus, telling me how much you'd hurt me doesn't exactly make the idea any more appealing, you know."

"Oh, go eat ramen with that goth boy."

"I will," Naruto relplied promply.

"Hn!"

"Jealous, much?"

"Go to hell."

"I love you too, Teme."

* * *

_It was an hour before midnight. But, like always, Gaara couldn't sleep. He knew that he should be in his room, not wondering the city he didn't even know. He didn't know how safe Konoha would at this time of night, either, but he didn't care. He had never been so far from Suna. He had finally left that hell hole. However, being three days away from Hell didn't stop his insomnia, so he wondered out to a local park and sat on a bench._

_Gaara's life had been far from easy. His mother died giving birth do him and, in Suna, a very supersticious city, believed that it meant that he was a cursed and demonic. So, all his life, everyone avoided him like they would dodge a monster. His own uncle, his guaridian, tried to blow him up. It was sheer luck that it backfired, causing Yashamaru to be the only casualty. However, this tormented him so much, that he was never able to sleep well again--not that he wasn't already an insomniac. Sure, over time, his brother and sister, although they remaned distant, seemed to really ginuinely care for him, deep down. It was them who set Gaara up to get away for a few months, out of that mess. Still, no matter where you go, you're troubles always follow you. He could lie and say that the rings around his eyes were just make-up, he could say that his mother was alive and well, he could say that he had plenty of friends back home, but that didn't help the hurt go away._

_Gaara sighed, still on the bench, curling his legs up to his chest. The Konoha air was much more fresh with the dense forest, unlike Suna's desert. He liked it that way. Being able to take in the freshness and crisp cool air. It made it less hard for him to be alone._

_"Ga-Gaara?" a familiar voice called out softly, with a shocked tone, "Wha-what are you doing here this late?" Naruto._

_Gaara's face shot up, looking at the boy he had only known for a month or so, yet felt like he knew his whole life. "I could ask the same for you..."_

_"Late night ramen run!" Naruto said with a smile. The street light shone just enough for Gaara to see Naruto's big, childish grin._

_"I see..."_

_"You?"_

_"Er...I just--I just...Need to--" he stammered. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to let Naruto in, but he most definately didn't want Naruto to look down on him. He felt himself turning red. His eyes felt watery, fighting tears. He didn't understand why. He never cries._

_Naruto's tone went serious. "If it's personal, you don't have to tell me." He sat down on the opposite side of the bench, "But if you want to, I can sit here all night." He scooted in closer, put his arm around Gaara's shoulder. It felt as if a million--no, a billion, butterflies were fluttering in his stomach. He felt a tear run down his cheek. Naruto's warm hand wiped it off. Although it seemed like nothing, it was easily the nicest act someone ever did to him. _

_It was like Naruto turned on a faucet. He broke down, sobbing, telling Naruto everything. He went on and on about every last detail, probably taking over an hour. Naruto silently listened, paying full attention. His face turned paler and paler as Gaara's horror story that was his life continued._

_"That's horrible," Naruto finally said after he was finished. He sounded like he was in shock. He didn't understand how people could isolate a little boy so much. His mother, too, had died in childbirth, and although it did make him feel lonely, no one ever treated him like it was ever his fault. He looked at Gaara with new eyes, more understanding, more sympathetic. Gaara simply gave a sad smile._

_"Shit, and I thought Sasuke had it bad." Gaara's smile faded._

_"Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke? You mean that friend of yours who is going out with that pink-haired girl?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"…"_

_"What?"_

_"You love him, don't you?"_

_"…"_

_"You do."_

_"No, he's my friend, that's all," Naruto replied steadily, with a stifled yawn, "He was the first friend I ever had…And after what happened to him…" Gaara knew that he was trying to change the topic, but he decided not to point that out._

_"Hey, did you all in Suna ever hear about the collapse of the that freeway about three years ago?"_

_"Er…yeah. It was a real shock, right? In the middle of the night or something? There weren't that many people on the road at the time, so there weren't too many overall casualties. But the big deal was that the richest family on Earth were all right below it in their limos, coming home from some big party or something, right? I heard that it was so bad that they couldn't even tell whose body belonged to who until they looked into dental records or something. Yeah, the Uchiha fami--Oh, my God."_

_"Yup. They were returning from the Uchiha Family Annual Ball. The family all live near to each other, so the limos were all in a line."_

_"I…Dear God, I--I knew that Sasuke's last name was 'Uchiha', but it never dawned on me…"_

_"Yeah, Sasuke had developed a case of the stomach flu earlier that day, and Itachi volunteered to stay behind and take care of him. I remember that Sasuke was all bitchy about not being able to go…But, if he did, he'd be--he'd be…" Naruto trailed off._

_Gaara couldn't think of a reply, so Naruto just continued, "You see…Sasuke has this thing, so when he's sick, he always goes in his old play house. By the time the police came by, Sasuke and Itachi were both dead asleep, not even stirred by the sirens or Itachi's cell phone ringing. It was a very big party, so although none of the other people who attended the Ball saw Sasuke or Itachi, they just as easily could have been simply lost in the crowd. Their house was went through, just in case--they didn't think to look in Sasuke's play house--and they naturally assumed that they were…_

_"I thought I lost him. I really did. He and Itachi, along with the rest of the Uchihas, were listed dead in the newspaper. Sasuke and Itachi didn't wake up until about noon when the play house was finally raided. I feel so sorry for them, waking up to find their mansion surrounded by yellow police tape and mourning crowds surrounding…Many mourning for the them._

_"I guess it was bittersweet. I really thought my best friend had left me forever. I didn't leave my room, I thought I never would again. When Shikamaru burst in my room to tell me that he was alive, I broke down. It really was a miracle."_

_"You really do love him," Gaara swallowed. _

_"Like you said, he's going out with Sakura. He says he's one hundred percent straight. I've accepted that he'd never…"_

_"You still love him, regardless." It felt like someone punched Gaara in the gut._

_"Yes."_

_"Oh, okay," Gaara started to get up, but Naruto grabbed his arm before he could._

_"But like I said, I've accepted that we won't be together, him and I. I decided about a month ago that I am going to move on," he looked Gaara in the face, barely visible through the blanket of darkness covering them._

_"Why?" Gaara answered nearly emotionlessly, "If you really love him, then you can't just--"_

_"Because I love you more--" _

_Naruto kissed him. It was just a simple kiss. Innocent, but full of emotion. A first for both of them. Naruto then pulled away, cupping Gaara's face in his hands._

_"--and I always will."_

* * *

Gaara arose that morning from another near-sleepless night. The memories of that night preoccupied his mind, playing over in his brief dream.

He had to get Naruto back.

* * *

_And that's it..._  
_And about the whole Kabuto thing--yes. I had to. I considered making it Sai, but Kabuto just seemed better. I'm trying not to be too ooc, but sometimes you have to stretch their personalities to make them more fun to mess with. ;)_

_A/N For those who alert this story--Sorry for all the false alarms for this chapter! My computer is weird  
_


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